Live multimedia performances that are a part of the Walter Cronkite Memorial at Missouri Western State University will travel to New York and Washington, D.C. for performances this month. The special engagements are in honor of the centennial of the legendary newsman’s birth in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Nov. 4, 1916.

“And That’s the Way It Is,” a 90-minute trilogy, will be performed for invited guests, including members of Cronkite’s family, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23 at Lincoln Center’s Stanley Kaplan Penthouse in New York. “Cronkite,” a 25-minute show, will be performed at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 at the Newseum in Washington.

“We have taken the show on the road twice already this year, and I’m gratified that the performances have been very well received,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “The hard work and extraordinary talent of our cast and crew will reach a larger audience with these performances in New York, where Walter Cronkite lived for much of his life, and Washington, where he covered many historic events. I’m also pleased that we’ll be able to take a group of students from our journalism program and student government to Washington to see the performance, the remarkable Newseum and the other sights of our nation’s capital.”

Missouri Western dedicated the Walter Cronkite Memorial in 2013, on what would have been the longtime CBS anchor’s 97th birthday. The memorial is a 6,000-square-foot museum featuring video kiosks, memorabilia, interpretive displays and a replica of the newsroom from which Cronkite broadcast the CBS Evening News.

As a part of the memorial, three live performances have been developed. The shows combine video, still photographs, music and live actors. They are each between 20 and 25 minutes long and can be performed separately or as a trilogy titled “And That’s the Way It Is.”

  • “Harry & Walter: Missouri’s Native Sons” explores the parallel lives of President Harry S. Truman and Walter Cronkite. Starring Ken Remmert as Truman and Jim Korinke as Cronkite.
  • “King & Cronkite” features the words of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the reflections of Cronkite on the civil rights movement. Starring Walter Coppage as King and Korinke as Cronkite.
  • “Cronkite” is based on an interview of Cronkite on CNN’s “Larry King Live” one year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Cronkite reflects on that event and other events he covered during his career. Starring Korinke as Cronkite.

The shows were conceived and written by Dr. Vartabedian. “Cronkite” is directed by Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of Missouri Western’s School of Fine Arts. “Harry & Walter” and “King & Cronkite” are directed by Dr. Vartabedian. Tara Stoll is the multi-media producer and director. Jake Kelly is the technical director. Ryan Menley is music supervisor.

Earlier this year, “Harry & Walter” was performed at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, as part of the Harry Truman birthday celebration on May 8. “And That’s the Way It Is” was performed at Union Station in Kansas City on July 11.

The trilogy will be performed for a private audience on Cronkite’s 100th birthday, Friday, Nov. 4, in the Kemper Recital Hall, adjacent to the memorial inside Spratt Hall at Missouri Western. Videos of the trilogy will be shown during a public open house the following day, Saturday, Nov. 5.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.